YES alumni in Bangladesh noticed that local youth struggle to select and pursue careers that they are passionate about, especially because of pressures from their parents to choose specific jobs. In order to help support young students and help them find careers that will be fulfilling for them, alumni organized and implemented a seminar calledYouth Awakening 2016.

On July 30, 2016, 236 students from various secondary schools attended the seminar at Daffodil International University. The seminar featured twelve speakers, including eight young professionals from different fields of work, two special guests, and two career counselors. See below for more information about the speakers and the information they shared:

• Ayman Sadiq, the Founder of 10 Minute School, spoke about his journey of becoming an entrepreneur and the struggles of family expectations.

• Azman Anju Khan Chowdhury, the Founder of Durnibar Foundation, spoke about social business and how to use social media to gain momentum.

• Sariha Nazifa Nawal, the Founder of Bangladesh Model United Nations Council, talked about how to pursue a future in International Relations, Law, and Diplomacy.

• Tawsif Alam Khan, the Managing Director at Vertical Horizon, discussed how to pursue a job in the education sector.

• Anam Ahmed, the Co-Founder of Let's Learn Coding and a Senior Software Engineer at Telenor Health, shared information about careers in computer programming and coding.

• Navid F. Rahman, the Director of Strategy and Planning at Icarus, told the students about careers in art and design.

• Tanbin Rafee, the President and Co-Founder of Enliven, led an interactive career counseling session.

• Asif Bin Azad, an entertainer at Bhai Brothers LTD, gave the students tips on how to use YouTube to build a self-brand and career.

• Rubaiyat Kamal, the Founder of the YES Alumni Association in Bangladesh and a former Boeing Engineer, discussed his journey with YES Alumni Bangladesh and shared perspectives on how to work on social issues through community service.

• Sausan Rahmatullah, an Advisor at Education USA, spoke about Education USA and answered personal questions about studying abroad.

• Nileema Khan, a Counselor at Delhi Public School, led a workshop about higher education in Bangladesh and abroad, as well as how to research universities.

After the speeches, the students were invited to participate in a question and answer session with all of the speakers. The students left the seminar feeling inspired and better prepared to make decisions about their futures.